This little plastic part can...
This little plastic part can be pesky in '69-'70 Mustangs with climatecontrol. When it breaks, you're without defrosters. Mustangs Etc. canhelp with this reproduction A/C-DEFROSTER door lever kit, which includesthe hardware.
Few things are more frustrating than interior airflow in places it isn'tneeded. For example, it's a humid morning and you need a clearwindshield. You slide the climate control to DEF and wait for the air onyour windshield that never arrives. Perhaps your feet are cold and coulduse a warm-up. Sliding the control to HEAT nets you nothing but hotair--from the air-conditioning outlets. It's 95 degrees outside, withrelative humidity of 100 percent, so you nudge the control knob to MAX.But what you get is MIN. Can you see our point about climate-controlmalfunction?
Climate-control systems quit working properly for a variety of reasons.Vacuum hoses, switches, and servo-motors develop leaks. Air-conditioningcompressor switches burn out. Thermostatic switches fail. Heater controlvalves stick. And blowers simply stop working. We're going to addressclimate-control- system basics for '67-'78 Mustangs with factory airconditioning. We'll show you how simple it is, and how to get it workingwhen it won't.
1 You can gain access to...
1 You can gain access to the A/C-DEFROSTER door lever by removing theupper half of the dashboard. Begin with this trim piece. Two screws getthe job done.
Vintage Mustang climate-control systems are a wonder of ingenuity. Thestandard heater uses cables for specific functions, but theclimate-control system utilizes the engine's intake-manifold vacuuminstead. For example, when you move the climate-control selector toHEAT, vacuum is channeled through the vacuum switch to the rightcombination of servo-motors, which move doors inside the system todirect hot air to your feet. Slide the control to MAX or FRESH airconditioning, and you get vacuum-operated door movement, and also theclosing of switches that engage the air-conditioning compressor clutch.
Things quit working properly when vacuum hoses are misconnected. Nextthing you know, you have cold air on your feet or hot air in your face.Particularly frustrating is the absence of defrosters on a frostymorning.
This article isn't about the refrigeration side of your Mustang'sclimate-control system. Rather, it's about handling the hot and cool airinside your passenger cabin.
Weak Link Solution
In 1967-1968, the Mustang's A/C-DEFROSTER door lever was made of steel,which made it strong and reliable. In 1969-1970, Ford replaced the steelwith plastic, which breaks with great regularity. Until recently, no onereproduced this part, forcing enthusiasts to roam salvage yards andused-parts vendors in search of replacements. Southern California'sMustangs Etc. saw the need to reproduce this elusive plastic lever,which helps the vacuum servo move the A/C-DEFROSTER door on '69-'70Mustangs (and Cougars). It's now available as a complete repair kit,including the lever and retainers. We're going to show you how toinstall it.
 2a Work your way around the...  2a Work your way around the dashpad as shown. Small Phillips head screwsretain the entire assembly. | 
2b |  3a Remove the radio face...  3a Remove the radio faceplate. |
3b |  4 Remove the screws along...  4 Remove the screws along the top of the dashpad at the windshield. |  5 Two screws retain this...  5 Two screws retain this trim piece at the passenger-side door. |
 6 Screws around the right-hand...  6 Screws around the right-hand dashpad release the entire assembly.Disconnect all of the electrical connections before lifting out thedashpad assembly. |  7 Gilbert Bravo of Mustangs...  7 Gilbert Bravo of Mustangs Etc. lifts out the entire dashpad assemblylike this, which exposes the climate-control system. |  8 To get to the A/C-DEFROSTER...  8 To get to the A/C-DEFROSTER door plastic lever, the right-sideair-conditioning duct is removed. |
 9 With the dashpad assembly...  9 With the dashpad assembly removed, the entire climate-control systemis easily accessed. |  10 The A/C-DEFROSTER door...  10 The A/C-DEFROSTER door lever is easy to remove. Needle-nose pliersand a screwdriver get out the three retainers. |  11a The new A/C-DEFROSTER...  11a The new A/C-DEFROSTER door plastic lever from Mustangs Etc. installsas easily as the old one came out... |
 11b ...Three retainers, included...  11b...Three retainers, included in the kit,get the job done. Check the door for proper operation while you're inthere. |  12 This is the way the lever...  12 This is the way the lever should look installed. Reinstall thedashpad. Don't forget to plug everything back in. | |